Date of Award
Spring 2020
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Katherine Moore
Abstract
Afterimages provide unique insight into the visual pathway since they are to an extent independent from external stimuli. The present study investigates the effect of memory color and color constancy on the perceived hue of afterimages. Memory color refers to the hue imagined when thinking of a specific object. For instance, bananas universally evoke a yellow color, whereas other objects, like a ball, do not elicit one specific color. Color constancy is when the color of an object appears the same despite changing lighting conditions. For example, a strawberry may still be perceived as red under a blue light, even though it now reflects a bluish wavelength.
The study will examine a) if the effects of color memory influence the perceived color of afterimages, and b) if color constancy will affect the hue of afterimages in a natural setting. In the study experiment, participants will view three classes of inverted photos of natural world settings, containing either familiar (i.e., a banana) or unfamiliar objects (i.e., a mug), then report the color of the objects’ afterimages. We hypothesize that for familiar objects, memory color will influence the perceived hue of the afterimage in the direction of the expected color for that object. Participants will also view familiar and unfamiliar objects under four different simulated lighting colors, and report color. We predict stronger influence of color constancy in conditions with familiar objects due to memory color, and also predict that Mondrian displays that contain randomized backgrounds will produce no color constancy effect.
Recommended Citation
Sudlow, Kimberly and Moore, Katherine, "The Effects of Color Constancy and Memory Color on Afterimage Hue" (2020). Capstone Showcase. 9.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2020/psychology/9
The Effects of Color Constancy and Memory Color on Afterimage Hue
Afterimages provide unique insight into the visual pathway since they are to an extent independent from external stimuli. The present study investigates the effect of memory color and color constancy on the perceived hue of afterimages. Memory color refers to the hue imagined when thinking of a specific object. For instance, bananas universally evoke a yellow color, whereas other objects, like a ball, do not elicit one specific color. Color constancy is when the color of an object appears the same despite changing lighting conditions. For example, a strawberry may still be perceived as red under a blue light, even though it now reflects a bluish wavelength.
The study will examine a) if the effects of color memory influence the perceived color of afterimages, and b) if color constancy will affect the hue of afterimages in a natural setting. In the study experiment, participants will view three classes of inverted photos of natural world settings, containing either familiar (i.e., a banana) or unfamiliar objects (i.e., a mug), then report the color of the objects’ afterimages. We hypothesize that for familiar objects, memory color will influence the perceived hue of the afterimage in the direction of the expected color for that object. Participants will also view familiar and unfamiliar objects under four different simulated lighting colors, and report color. We predict stronger influence of color constancy in conditions with familiar objects due to memory color, and also predict that Mondrian displays that contain randomized backgrounds will produce no color constancy effect.